Reporter refutes rumors of Titans trading up for C.J. Stroud

It appears rumors linking the Tennessee Titans with a massive move up in the draft so they can land Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud may be one big smokescreen. 

For a piece published on Monday, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote that while the Titans "have done the work on the quarterbacks, and some believe they will trade up," Breer has heard that "the calls they've actually made have been in an effort to trade down, something they might pull off if the second tackle, the second corner or the right quarterback falls" to pick No. 11. 

Interestingly, Breer suggested that the Titans will wait and see if Florida Gators signal-caller Anthony Richardson drops out of the top 10. 

ESPN NFL Draft guru Todd McShay,  ESPN's Matt Miller and NBC Sports' Peter King are among league insiders who have predicted over the past week the Titans could send pick No. 11 and first-round choices in 2024 and 2025 to the Arizona Cardinals to leapfrog the division-rival Indianapolis Colts in the draft and acquire Stroud with selection No. 3. McShay noted that Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel, a former Ohio State player and coach, has an existing "relationship" with Stroud.

The thought is that the Titans could have a rookie such as Stroud or Richardson sit and learn behind veteran Ryan Tannehill for a season. Tannehill turns 35 years old in July and is in the final year of his contract.

According to Jim Wyatt of the Titans website, general manager Ran Carthon told reporters during Monday's predraft news conference he had a conversation with Tannehill back in February. Carthon accepted the Tennessee job the previous month. 

"Ryan knows where he stands with us," Carthon said, "and that is really all that matters to me." 

Carthon added that the club doing "due diligence at every position" is "not an indictment on Ryan or anybody on this roster."

Will Brinson of CBS Sports continues to predict in his mock drafts that the Titans will get Stroud at pick No. 11. Meanwhile, CBS' Chris Trapasso wrote in a mock draft updated on Monday that he thinks Tennessee will take Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis with the 11th pick.